Satsuma Soak Cake

All dressed up with no where to be.*

*except for my mouth

Y’all. Satsumas are in season and they are delicious and if you don’t know what they are read this and also I’m sorry for you. The 411 is that they’re basically a small, easy-to-peel, super sweet, unnervingly juicy and addictive orange. I feel like everyone in south Louisiana (besides me because whatever) has a memory of sitting under a grandmother or aunt’s satsuma tree in some picturesque southern backyard picking satsumas straight off the tree and laughing with their play friends as the juice dribbled down their chins and into their laps. Or something like that.

Anyway, the above scene isn’t nearly as cute when I do it as a grown adult male so I’m over it and instead went to a supermarket (Whole Foods, because the farmers market is on Saturday morning and sometimes I do things on Friday night and can’t make it OK get off my case) and bought a 5 lb box for like $6, which it turns out is the perfect amount to make a bundt cake that needs to literally soak in the blood of these beauties. If you aren’t able to locate satsumas, then oranges or mandarins or whatever the hell those things are that are labelled as "Cuties" will work just dandy.

I topped this cake with some candied satsuma peels, which are delicious and really add a nice sweet and tangy element.

What:

Cake

2.5 cups cake flour

1 T baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 cups powdered sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup melted butter, cooled

1 cup buttermilk

1 T vanilla extract

1 T almond extract

Zest of 2 lemons

2 cups satsuma juice

2/3 cup granulated sugar

Glaze

3 T butter

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup satsuma juice

2 cups powdered sugar

How:

Heat oven to 350* and prepare your most fabulous bundt pan.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and powdered sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add half to egg mixture along with the lemon zest; mix on low to combine.

Add butter, buttermilk and extracts; mix to combine.

Add the rest of the dry mix and beat at medium speed to combine.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and crumble-free when a toothpick is inserted.

Bring satsuma juice and granulated sugar to a boil in a saucepan and let cool until just warm.

Once cake has cooled to room temperature - and is still in the original pan - punch many holes in the cake with a fork and pour the juice atop it.

Allow to soak until all liquid is absorbed, about an hour.

In a medium saucepan bring butter, zest, and juice to a boil.

Whisk in the powdered sugar and continue whisking until all lumps are disolved.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pour over the cake slowly, making sure to cover the entire surface of the cake in the glaze.